Brandy Station 1863: First Step Towards Gettysburg
by Dan Beattie, Osprey, 2008, $19.95
Osprey Publishing seems to have hit on a winning formula with its “Campaign” series by presenting substantive narrative histories that are chockablock with important lists and sidebars, such as orders of battle and timelines.
This volume on the great June 1863 cavalry clash at Brandy Station, Va., is well organized and comprehensive. The text is enhanced by ample illustrations—both historic photos and new color drawings that dramatize certain aspects of the fighting.
The book may not reveal anything new about the titanic clash of sabers, but it does serve as a fantastic one-stop resource on the battle in which the Federal cavalry finally came of age and gave J.E.B. Stuart a jolt of reality.
Originally published in the May 2009 issue of America’s Civil War. To subscribe, click here.
